They look like standard 250 lb HE bombs without the fins and fuse in the nose. I pretty sure that’s what the yellow ring signify. High Explosive!
A note on Beer Wagon, it is a “Falcon” gunship from the 3rd plt of my old out fit the 335th AHC “Cowboys” at Dong Tam. We shared the field with the “Emus” a joint Austrailian/American helicopter company. Their guns were the “Tipans” named after the snake. The Falcons took their emblem from the “Atlanta Falcons” football team, with the addition of red paint on the Falcon claw to simulate blood.
The white tirangle with the pentagon inside indicates the battallion, in this case the 214th out of Vinh Long. The pentagon was different colors for different companies. The 335th for example carried a blue pentagon. Also of note, the drive shaft cover atop the tail boom, the 42 degree box cover and the verticle fin covers were painted black on our company aircraft. And the stinger cover (a flexable fiberglass piece which faired the end of the tail boom to the verticle fin) was usually painted to a platoon color. During my tour, yellow was first plt, white was 2nd plt, and the guns were black.
To add to the confusion factor, sometime about 1969 the Army issued an MWO (Modification Work Order) to install “C model” tail booms and sync elevators on all “B models”. In the case of the guns paint and or other beautification was done as time permitted because the guns flew a much heavier schedule than those of us in slicks. Many gunships flew a while with with just zinc chromated tail booms.
regards,
Chuck
I’m having fun so I won’t give it away just yet. Here is a hint though: I believe that the entire system was only carried on Marine UH-1Es but the warhead was also carried on Marine Cobras (what do Marine Cobras carry that other Cobras don’t (aside from bombs, sidewinders, sidearms, and Hellfires). The system name is still on Marine Cobra NARCAD (armament select) panels - that was a clue for Andy.
Hmmmm, now that you mention it, they look like LAU-10 five-inch rocket warheads, which look to be modified with bands around their circumfrence allowing the mounting lugs for dropping.
More recently, I am wishing I still had a flightline to walk out to and check a stores panel… sigh. Civilian life sucks.
–Andy
Bingo - 5" Zuni rocket blast frag warheads. The setup was called a Helicopter Trap Weapon (HTW) and was used to clear obstactles from LZs. The warhead had a parachute on the back so that it would fall vertically and used a proximatey fuse to detonate it a few meters above the LZ.
“To add to the confusion factor, sometime about 1969 the Army issued an MWO (Modification Work Order) to install “C model” tail booms and sync elevators on all “B models”. In the case of the guns paint and or other beautification was done as time permitted because the guns flew a much heavier schedule than those of us in slicks. Many gunships flew a while with with just zinc chromated tail booms.”
Chuck,
I know that there were B models that had the tail booms replaced with C model booms after a failure, but there were still plenty of B’s flying around without the upgraded tailbooms at the war’s end. You don’t happen to have a copy of the MWO do you? I will make a point to look for it if I get to go to Ft. Rucker this summer. Also, do you have any pics of gunships with only zinc chromated tail booms. I would definitely like to see that! By the way, no matter what modifications were made to them, B models can be distinguished from C’s by the fuel filler cap which is on the right on B’s and on the left on C’s. Of course, there are many other differences between the two, but that’s the only one I don’t thunk could be changed.
Ray
I’ll root around through my pictures and see if I have one. The MWO was not a mandatory catagory MWO as I recall. The entry in my “B’s” historical records at NASA Ames did not contain much info and may have applied to certian aircraft by either “time,” or by “serial number.” Probably by “serial number” as tail booms were normally a “condition” item.
I know what you mean about some not being moded, when I was at Ft. Riley there were a couple there that were not moded (circa spring 1972). (I guess the entrals of the goat were not favorable for them… 
Regards,
Chuck
Looking forward to the pics, Chuck. Continuing with the unusual Huey configurations. Who can ID this system?
I don’t know the name or number of the system, but it is used to drop flares for illumination purposes.
yeah, my guess was flares from seeing a few different configs…but the flares look the same…heheh…I’ve been browsing a bunch of Unit sites…I just saw one last night where some type of flare tripped inside the huey…they kicked it out and eventually put the fire out with extinguisher…I’ll try to find it again…
EDIT…must be different flares…yes??..here it is:
Great link! Thanks Bounce [tup]
EDIT, scrap that,… fantastic link! has some great pictures of prototype door mounted miniguns and original drawings and pictures of nighthawk birds, Thank you very much Bounce. They will help loads with my scratch building [tup][tup][tup]
Andy
Yep, everyone figured out that it was a system to deliver flares. Specifically, the XM19 system. Here is the official TACOM description:
The XM19 was a Research and Development project for dispensing MK45 flares from the UH-1B/UH-1C/UH-1D/UH-1H “Huey”. The XM19, consisting of 24-tubes mounted in the aircraft cargo compartment, was capable of launching up to 24 three-foot long 2,000,000 candle power MK45 flares. Sighting was visual.
Continuing the tradition of posting more pics, here is a .50 cal UH-1B gunship. Anyone know the details on this bird? Interesting camo pattern as well! Keep the pics coming. Don’t make me post all the wierd Huey stuff. I know there are lots of other interesting and unusual birds that we haven’t seen yet.
Ray
Bounce: Great site by the way, thanks! Lot’s of older systems and unusual configurations. Very cool!
Slim Pickens setup here:
http://www.68thahc.com/Photos/P_Matusz_050.jpg
another great site for Huey eye candy…http://www.68thahc.com/index.htm
and for my final entry…the mother lode…a link to all other links of what looks like every known RVN helicopter company with a website…grab a beer and start surfing!!
Can anyone identify this system?
Believe that to be an electonic sensor dropped in an area and used to monitor activity
Close. It’s a remote phone line tap. When a recon team would find a phone line an aircraft carrying this equipment would be dispatched to the area. They would low hover over the line, crank the device up to horizontal, then release the sensor. As long as it was put in near the line, it would pick up conversations.
Just came across this picture, thinking it was a bushranger i clicked for better view it turns out its a slick from 1/9th Air Cav in 1966.
I cant make it out to clearly but are those m60 flex guns mounted behind the pilot door??? If its something else i would love to know what ? if its guns then it kinda throws a spanner in the works in our huey thread about the US not using UH-1Ds and Hs as gunships in Vietnam!!!
Andy
Armed D and H models were usually specialty birds such as firefly’s or recovery, some early models may have been armed in a test role also, but the US Army never used large number in an armed role
Andy,
Great pic, man! That is definitely a M16 gun system with twin 60C’s and the door gunner has a “free” 60 on a bungee (notice the M23 system mount is present as well). I have NEVER seen a ship like that. Definitely not a firefly. Do you have the address of the web site? Good stuff!
Ray
Andy,
That’s a great pic. It looks like they’ve cut a big square out of that 1/4 door to fit the ammo belts through and cut the Pintle post mount down. Do you have any more pics?
Nice find.
Rich